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In Falling Snow
A bestselling Australian writer’s American debut and a heart-wrenching novel of World War I
Iris Crane’s tranquil life is shattered when a letter summons memories from her bittersweet past: her first love, her best friend, and the tragedy that changed everything. Iris, a young Australian nurse, travels to France during World War I to bring home her fifteen-year-old brother, who ran away to enlist. But in Paris she meets the charismatic Dr. Frances Ivens, who convinces Iris to help establish a field hospital in the old abbey at Royaumont, staffed entirely by women—a decision that will change her life. Seamlessly interwoven is the story of Grace, Iris’s granddaughter in 1970s Australia. Together their narratives paint a portrait of the changing role of women in medicine and the powerful legacy of love.
Iris Crane’s tranquil life is shattered when a letter summons memories from her bittersweet past: her first love, her best friend, and the tragedy that changed everything. Iris, a young Australian nurse, travels to France during World War I to bring home her fifteen-year-old brother, who ran away to enlist. But in Paris she meets the charismatic Dr. Frances Ivens, who convinces Iris to help establish a field hospital in the old abbey at Royaumont, staffed entirely by women—a decision that will change her life. Seamlessly interwoven is the story of Grace, Iris’s granddaughter in 1970s Australia. Together their narratives paint a portrait of the changing role of women in medicine and the powerful legacy of love.
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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6927 people want to read
About the author
Mary-Rose MacColl
14 books176 followersMary-Rose MacColl is an Australian writer whose first novel, No Safe Place, was runner-up in the 1995 Australian Vogel literary award. Her first non-fiction book, The Birth Wars, was a finalist in the 2009 Walkley Awards. In Falling Snow (October 2012), Mary-Rose's fourth novel, tells the largely unknown story of a small group of Scottish women who ran a field hospital for France in World War I in an old abbey. MacColl holds degrees in journalism and creative writing and lives between Brisbane, Australia and Banff, Canada with her husband and son.
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September 25, 2013
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In 1914 Iris Crane, a young nurse from Brisbane, arrives in Paris on a mission from her father: find her fifteen-year-old brother, Tom, and bring him home before he gets killed. Instead, Iris finds herself enlisted by the incredibly charismatic Dr Frances Ivens, who convinces Iris to help her set up a new hospital run entirely by women at Royaumont, an old abandoned abbey north of Paris. Since the last word she'd heard from her brother was that he was going to Amiens, Iris decides it is a good location from which to search for Tom, rather than end up who-knew-where with the Red Cross. But at Royaumont Iris soon finds herself caught up in establishing and running the hospital, working as both administrator and nurse, bearing witness to the atrocities of war.
Sixty years after the war ended, back in Brisbane in 1978, elderly Iris Hogan (nee Crane) receives a letter inviting her back to Royaumont to commemorate the 60th anniversary, where the guest speaker will be her old friend, Violet Heron. The letter dredges up old memories for Iris, who hasn't stayed in contact with anyone she knew from that time, and while she struggles to stay in the present and remember the recent past, she begins to relive her time at Royaumont. Her granddaughter, Grace, an obstetrics doctor, visits her often and is alarmed at the idea of Iris flying to France because of her weak heart.
Grace isn't paying as much attention to her grandmother as she would later wish: she has her own problems, chief among them an inquiry at the hospital after a baby was delivered stillborn, and her own youngest child, Henry, who at three years old suffers from fatigue, is developing a bit slower than his older sisters did, and whose legs sometimes hurt. Her husband, David, also a doctor, wants them to have Henry looked at by a paediatrician, but Grace is reluctant. Part of her knows something is wrong, something she doesn't want to have to face, but she couldn't have known that Henry's condition is connected to a secret Iris has kept for three generations.
In Falling Snow is an absolutely beautiful book, a compelling story that illuminates the hard work of women during the war, the struggle women faced to be recognised for their skills and ability and strength in the workplace - not just in early twentieth century, but in the 70s as well. Both Grace and Iris are connected not just through family ties, but also as mothers, working women, women in the field of health. The novel is a fictionalised chronicle of Royaumont Hospital, which was indeed a field hospital run entirely by women and funded by a Scottish women's group.The women, doctors and nurses and orderlies and kitchen staff and ambulance drivers, came from all over the English-speaking world, and were so successful at running the hospital - where the men were better cared for than at any other field hospital in France - that they were later asked to open a second one, closer to the front.
The details Iris relates about setting up and running the hospital were just as fascinating as the human side of the story. There aren't that many novels written about World War I - the second world war is more popular - and while the perspective is a narrow one, you can still gain an invaluable insight into the realities of the Great War on everyday people. From the villagers struggling to get by to the young black soldiers from French colonies like Senegal and Algeria forced to enlist and were dying for a war they knew nothing about, MacColl brings the period vividly to life.
Likewise, Australia in the 70s, and the field of obstetrics in particular, is realistically captured - I'm always impressed and astounded (and, frankly, intimidated) by how much research authors of historical fiction must have to do to put together a story like this one. Interestingly, it is Grace's experiences as a female doctor at a hospital that created more tension for me than Iris working in a war zone. This was no doubt because I already knew Iris returned home unscathed, while Grace's future was unknown. The dual narratives provided momentum for the story, and due to their interconnectedness, it was easy switching back-and-forth. In some ways, I was more riveted to Grace's story, but her story wouldn't have had any power to move me if it weren't for Iris's recounting of her time at Royaumont. Not just because the two are connected, but because they provide such wonderful contrasts for each other.
The theme of motherhood is at the core of this novel: what makes a woman a mother, the sacrifices that mothers make, the delicate balance of children and career - one often cancelling the other out. Tied into this is the idea of a mother's burden of guilt, the feeling of culpability and fault, and the lengths a mother might go to to protect her child, or provide for them. It is subtly handled, a light touch that shadows the story rather than overtakes it, and it isn't until certain revelations at the end that the full sense of the theme takes shape.
The characters are all fully realised and developed, and live life off the page and in your head and heart. The interesting thing about Iris is the sense that she's not quite a reliable narrator - especially because of her failing mental capabilities but also because the secret she's spent most of her life keeping. She is deft at dissembling and distracting, being both clear and honest with the reader and also gently confounding. She foreshadows but never quite follows up on these statements - especially concerning her friend, Violet Heron, who calls them "the flower birds" because their names combine both flowers and birds. I found this quality to Iris's narrative quite clever; it was subtle and also provided another degree of tension or ambiguity. Iris often lulled me into a straight-forward narrative, never even hinting that she was keeping a secret at all. Without Grace's side of the story, Iris's narrative would have lacked a climax as well as a driving force. With it, her story takes on new, more complex layers of meaning.
In Falling Snow is easily one of my favourite books read this year, a story that has the storytelling power and skill to captivate me, educate me and engage with all my senses. MacColl has delivered not just a wonderful story, but also brought to life the obscure and mostly forgotten efforts of women working to great benefit during the war, lauding their bravery and skills while also never sacrificing the honour due to that oldest profession: motherhood.
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book.
In 1914 Iris Crane, a young nurse from Brisbane, arrives in Paris on a mission from her father: find her fifteen-year-old brother, Tom, and bring him home before he gets killed. Instead, Iris finds herself enlisted by the incredibly charismatic Dr Frances Ivens, who convinces Iris to help her set up a new hospital run entirely by women at Royaumont, an old abandoned abbey north of Paris. Since the last word she'd heard from her brother was that he was going to Amiens, Iris decides it is a good location from which to search for Tom, rather than end up who-knew-where with the Red Cross. But at Royaumont Iris soon finds herself caught up in establishing and running the hospital, working as both administrator and nurse, bearing witness to the atrocities of war.
Sixty years after the war ended, back in Brisbane in 1978, elderly Iris Hogan (nee Crane) receives a letter inviting her back to Royaumont to commemorate the 60th anniversary, where the guest speaker will be her old friend, Violet Heron. The letter dredges up old memories for Iris, who hasn't stayed in contact with anyone she knew from that time, and while she struggles to stay in the present and remember the recent past, she begins to relive her time at Royaumont. Her granddaughter, Grace, an obstetrics doctor, visits her often and is alarmed at the idea of Iris flying to France because of her weak heart.
Grace isn't paying as much attention to her grandmother as she would later wish: she has her own problems, chief among them an inquiry at the hospital after a baby was delivered stillborn, and her own youngest child, Henry, who at three years old suffers from fatigue, is developing a bit slower than his older sisters did, and whose legs sometimes hurt. Her husband, David, also a doctor, wants them to have Henry looked at by a paediatrician, but Grace is reluctant. Part of her knows something is wrong, something she doesn't want to have to face, but she couldn't have known that Henry's condition is connected to a secret Iris has kept for three generations.
In Falling Snow is an absolutely beautiful book, a compelling story that illuminates the hard work of women during the war, the struggle women faced to be recognised for their skills and ability and strength in the workplace - not just in early twentieth century, but in the 70s as well. Both Grace and Iris are connected not just through family ties, but also as mothers, working women, women in the field of health. The novel is a fictionalised chronicle of Royaumont Hospital, which was indeed a field hospital run entirely by women and funded by a Scottish women's group.The women, doctors and nurses and orderlies and kitchen staff and ambulance drivers, came from all over the English-speaking world, and were so successful at running the hospital - where the men were better cared for than at any other field hospital in France - that they were later asked to open a second one, closer to the front.
The details Iris relates about setting up and running the hospital were just as fascinating as the human side of the story. There aren't that many novels written about World War I - the second world war is more popular - and while the perspective is a narrow one, you can still gain an invaluable insight into the realities of the Great War on everyday people. From the villagers struggling to get by to the young black soldiers from French colonies like Senegal and Algeria forced to enlist and were dying for a war they knew nothing about, MacColl brings the period vividly to life.
Likewise, Australia in the 70s, and the field of obstetrics in particular, is realistically captured - I'm always impressed and astounded (and, frankly, intimidated) by how much research authors of historical fiction must have to do to put together a story like this one. Interestingly, it is Grace's experiences as a female doctor at a hospital that created more tension for me than Iris working in a war zone. This was no doubt because I already knew Iris returned home unscathed, while Grace's future was unknown. The dual narratives provided momentum for the story, and due to their interconnectedness, it was easy switching back-and-forth. In some ways, I was more riveted to Grace's story, but her story wouldn't have had any power to move me if it weren't for Iris's recounting of her time at Royaumont. Not just because the two are connected, but because they provide such wonderful contrasts for each other.
The theme of motherhood is at the core of this novel: what makes a woman a mother, the sacrifices that mothers make, the delicate balance of children and career - one often cancelling the other out. Tied into this is the idea of a mother's burden of guilt, the feeling of culpability and fault, and the lengths a mother might go to to protect her child, or provide for them. It is subtly handled, a light touch that shadows the story rather than overtakes it, and it isn't until certain revelations at the end that the full sense of the theme takes shape.
The characters are all fully realised and developed, and live life off the page and in your head and heart. The interesting thing about Iris is the sense that she's not quite a reliable narrator - especially because of her failing mental capabilities but also because the secret she's spent most of her life keeping. She is deft at dissembling and distracting, being both clear and honest with the reader and also gently confounding. She foreshadows but never quite follows up on these statements - especially concerning her friend, Violet Heron, who calls them "the flower birds" because their names combine both flowers and birds. I found this quality to Iris's narrative quite clever; it was subtle and also provided another degree of tension or ambiguity. Iris often lulled me into a straight-forward narrative, never even hinting that she was keeping a secret at all. Without Grace's side of the story, Iris's narrative would have lacked a climax as well as a driving force. With it, her story takes on new, more complex layers of meaning.
In Falling Snow is easily one of my favourite books read this year, a story that has the storytelling power and skill to captivate me, educate me and engage with all my senses. MacColl has delivered not just a wonderful story, but also brought to life the obscure and mostly forgotten efforts of women working to great benefit during the war, lauding their bravery and skills while also never sacrificing the honour due to that oldest profession: motherhood.
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book.
November 9, 2012
In this captivating novel, Australian author Mary-Rose MacColl moves between the past and the present, from Australia to war torn France to create a compelling story of love, loss, friendship, family and dreams.
When Iris Crane receives an invitation to a ceremony honouring les dames ecossais de Royaumont she is forced to confront the events of sixty years ago. At twenty one, Iris followed her younger brother to war in Europe, determined to bring him home, but instead remained in France to serve at Royaumont, a field hospital established in an Abbey on the outskirts of Paris, staffed exclusively by women. Despite the horrors of war, Royaumont became home for Iris. She befriended a remarkable group of women including the spirited Violet Heron, discovered a talent for medicine and fell in love. Yet just three years later, Iris left Royaumont and never looked back.
I was immediately drawn to Iris, an old woman in failing health, who is remembering both the best and worst moments of her long life. As she drifts between the present and past she relates a full life of adventure, love, heartbreak and tragedy. From a motherless child on her father's farm, to a young nurse in the midst of World War 1 combat in France and then to her role as a wife, widow, mother, grandmother and great grandmother in Brisbane's suburbs, Iris reveals long held secrets and lingering regrets.
A mother of three and a obstetrician at a major hospital, Grace is struggling with her grandmother's decline as she tries to juggle the demands of work and family. Caught up in her own personal drama including being the target of a complaint and her growing concern about the health of her youngest son, Rose is dismissive of Iris's desire to attend the reunion at Royaumont. Despite being raised from birth by Iris, Grace is unaware of most of her grandmother's incredible past and is stunned by what she discovers when she honours Iris's last wish. There were times when I felt Grace's complications distracted from Iris's story somewhat but I also appreciated that MacColl ensured Grace was a well developed character.
MacColl develops interesting comparisons between the lives of Iris and Grace as she switches between narrative voices, exploring society's shifting perspectives of issues such as gender roles, motherhood, age expectations and health care. The author draws attention to the extraordinary changes in social attitudes that have affected women in particular during the past century, as well as the shameful instances where little has changed at all. MacColl also highlights the way in which the devastating toll of the first world war impacted on the generations that followed.
I was engrossed in both women's stories but I must admit I was especially fascinated by Iris's experiences at Royaumont. The Author's Notes reveal that In Falling Snow is inspired by the real life role of the Royaumont during World War 1 and though MacColl admits the story contains some historical inaccuracies for the purposes of fiction, she has tried to honour the incredible spirit of the women who served as surgeons, doctors, orderlies, nurses and drivers in the all woman military hospital that treated the casualties of war. I was absolutely fascinated by this aspect of the novel, enthralled by the courage and determination of the women who challenged society's expectations of them and MacColl's portrayal of life in the Abbey during an extraordinary time.
Royaumont almost becomes a character in its' own right. I was easily able to imagine the staff of Abbey working hard to prepare the space for the wounded as MacColl described but the scale of the challenge, and the incredible achievement of The Scottish Women's Auxiliary really only became obvious when I viewed the photographs online of the astonishing echoing rooms and vaulted ceilings.
I found In Falling Snow a wonderfully engaging tale, so caught up in life at Royaumont I regretted putting it down to attend to the mundane tasks of everyday life. I would recommend this novel particularly to participants of the Australian Women Writers Challenge, but I also feel it would be widely enjoyed by readers who find the synopsis appealing.
December 4, 2013
4 1/2 Stars
Setting:WWI-Era-France and 1970's Australia
Australian born Iris Crane travels to France during WWI to find her 15 year old brother who has run away to enlist. But fate has a different path for her and instead Iris meets an English doctor and he agrees to help her operate a field hospital in an old French Abbey. And with this chance meeting this unexpected path holds both a sense of purpose and terrible pain. Years later, her peaceful life in Australia is disrupted by an unexpected letter that reminds her of wartime events that happened with repercussions that could now affect her currant family. This beautifully told story shifts seamlessly between time periods,and the mesmerizing narrative tone of this authors story pulled this reader right in revealing to me a powerful tale that totally kept me engrossed right to the end. The main character Iris is intriguing, and the time and setting was done with just the right amount of historical detail split between WWI France and 1970 Australia, and was unique and very informational. Telling too much of this story will give what happens away, you just need to fall right into Iris's tale and be swept away as I was. Well done, and I look forward to more from this author.
Setting:WWI-Era-France and 1970's Australia
Australian born Iris Crane travels to France during WWI to find her 15 year old brother who has run away to enlist. But fate has a different path for her and instead Iris meets an English doctor and he agrees to help her operate a field hospital in an old French Abbey. And with this chance meeting this unexpected path holds both a sense of purpose and terrible pain. Years later, her peaceful life in Australia is disrupted by an unexpected letter that reminds her of wartime events that happened with repercussions that could now affect her currant family. This beautifully told story shifts seamlessly between time periods,and the mesmerizing narrative tone of this authors story pulled this reader right in revealing to me a powerful tale that totally kept me engrossed right to the end. The main character Iris is intriguing, and the time and setting was done with just the right amount of historical detail split between WWI France and 1970 Australia, and was unique and very informational. Telling too much of this story will give what happens away, you just need to fall right into Iris's tale and be swept away as I was. Well done, and I look forward to more from this author.
August 18, 2013
This book was OK, but I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed in it.
First the positives: This book has a lot of tragedy in it, and I thought the author dealt with the grief and sorrow of her characters as well as any author I've read. I'd be hard-pressed to come up with someone who has conveyed grieving better.
I also think the characters themselves were well-drawn and believable. I was particularly impressed with Iris Crane, who matured from a naïve girl to a grown woman during the course of the war, and also with her depiction as an ailing elderly widow with encroaching memory problems. Grace, too, was convincing, especially her confusion, frustration and guilt over trying to balance her family and career - and not always successfully.
Where the book really fell short was in the author's ability to convey time and place. As a historical fiction novel, this one left a lot to be desired.
If you choose to read In Falling Snow, it should be because you want a nice, moving human drama. If you're looking for quality historical fiction, you should probably give this one a miss.
First the positives: This book has a lot of tragedy in it, and I thought the author dealt with the grief and sorrow of her characters as well as any author I've read. I'd be hard-pressed to come up with someone who has conveyed grieving better.
I also think the characters themselves were well-drawn and believable. I was particularly impressed with Iris Crane, who matured from a naïve girl to a grown woman during the course of the war, and also with her depiction as an ailing elderly widow with encroaching memory problems. Grace, too, was convincing, especially her confusion, frustration and guilt over trying to balance her family and career - and not always successfully.
Where the book really fell short was in the author's ability to convey time and place. As a historical fiction novel, this one left a lot to be desired.
If you choose to read In Falling Snow, it should be because you want a nice, moving human drama. If you're looking for quality historical fiction, you should probably give this one a miss.
August 23, 2016
I struggled with this book by Mary-Rose MacColl, I almost threw in the towel..the start was soooo slow for me, I couldn't connect with Iris or Grace.
But I persisted and saw it to the end.... it did get better after about 100 pages in, and then the pace was far more consistent and the story was a lot more delightful to read. The ending of story doesn't sit well with me, all the ends were loosely tied up or throughout the story you became invested in those particulars story-lines only to not see them through, thats how I felt and there was some I felt that weren't at all resolved... I would've given 4 stars if it wasn't for this.
But I did love the historical reference in this book about France in World War 1 and the contribution women made, and enjoyed the writing detail from the author.
July 17, 2013
I got this as an eARC, and the more I think about it, the less I like them. Here's the problem: 25% of the way through, I didn't really care about the characters. There was too much digression into the lives of Iris (both in WWI France and 1970s Australia) and Grace. I don't mind time-shifting, but my guess is that this was in many ways supposed to mimic Iris' memories flitting from one thing to the other, but the overall effect was just jumbled. If I'd had this as a print ARC, I could easily have flipped through and seen if things came together, if it was worth sticking with. I can't do that with the eARC because it's just not set up for that kind of skimming. So, instead, this was a DNF.
I'm also wondering why WWI France is suddenly in vogue? This is the second book I've read, and fifth or sixth that I've heard about, set then. And because of that time setting, the "modern day" stuff needed to be in the 70s (the 60th anniversary of Iris' time there). Again, why? Because authors don't need to take modern technology into account? What am I missing?
ARC provided by publisher.
I'm also wondering why WWI France is suddenly in vogue? This is the second book I've read, and fifth or sixth that I've heard about, set then. And because of that time setting, the "modern day" stuff needed to be in the 70s (the 60th anniversary of Iris' time there). Again, why? Because authors don't need to take modern technology into account? What am I missing?
ARC provided by publisher.
October 3, 2012
This novel is wonderfully measured and beautifully written. It follows a young woman named Iris who goes to Europe during world war one to find her brother, who has enlisted although he is too young. While there, she finds work at Royaumont, an abbey converted into a field hospital by an all-woman team of Scottish doctors and nurses (and a real place!)
The vivid descriptions of snowy France contrast beautifully with the setting of the framing narrative, 20th century Brisbane, where Iris, now an elderly woman, realises she must finally reveal a long-held secret from the past.
MacColl has long been one of my favourite writers, for her honesty and depth of vision. This is a story that you will become emotionally entangled with. Highly recommended.
The vivid descriptions of snowy France contrast beautifully with the setting of the framing narrative, 20th century Brisbane, where Iris, now an elderly woman, realises she must finally reveal a long-held secret from the past.
MacColl has long been one of my favourite writers, for her honesty and depth of vision. This is a story that you will become emotionally entangled with. Highly recommended.
December 17, 2013
A swing and a miss. Once again, I find myself in the position of reading a book that I think is quite good, but which did not work for me. As a reader, it seems like I go through strings of reads (all the good ones in a row, all the three stars, all the horrid ones), and it seems I’m in a phase of books that just are not right for me in particular. I’m sure that other readers will find plenty to charm them in In Falling Snow, but, for the most part, I was bored.
Read the full review at A Reader of Fictions.
Read the full review at A Reader of Fictions.
December 26, 2021
Setting: Australia & France - World War One & Australia - 1970's. In World War One, Iris Crane has travelled from Australia to France to work as a nurse and to find and bring home her brother Tom, who enlisted underage at 15. In Paris, Iris meets Frances Ivens, a charismatic doctor who is attempting to set up a field hospital in an old abbey at Royaumont, staffed entirely by women. Iris is drawn in by Frances and ends up working as her hospital administrator, whilst still searching for her brother...
In one of a series of jumps to the 1970's, Iris is now back in Australia where she helped to raise her granddaughter, Grace, herself now a doctor working in maternity. Grace has her own personal and work issues to cope with but is also concerned about Iris's health, especially after Iris receives a letter from a former friend and colleague at Royaumont, inviting her to a reunion in France - this raises bittersweet memories for Iris as she recounts the tale of her time in France, exposing shocking revelations that are not known to Grace and the rest of her family...
A gripping read eventually - found it a bit slow at first but probably because of the fast-paced crime drama I had been reading before - but soon got enmeshed in the characters and events of the 'then and now' stories - 9/10.
In one of a series of jumps to the 1970's, Iris is now back in Australia where she helped to raise her granddaughter, Grace, herself now a doctor working in maternity. Grace has her own personal and work issues to cope with but is also concerned about Iris's health, especially after Iris receives a letter from a former friend and colleague at Royaumont, inviting her to a reunion in France - this raises bittersweet memories for Iris as she recounts the tale of her time in France, exposing shocking revelations that are not known to Grace and the rest of her family...
A gripping read eventually - found it a bit slow at first but probably because of the fast-paced crime drama I had been reading before - but soon got enmeshed in the characters and events of the 'then and now' stories - 9/10.
October 21, 2013
What a well-written story. It kept me on the edge of my seat and surprised me. I thought it went one way, but it went another. It honors the nurses of WWI while at the same time slowly unfolds a shocking secret. You really get to know the characters; you love them at times, hate them at others.
They feel so real.
In a nutshell: The backstory is WWI France. A group of Scottish and English nurses are opening a hospital. An Australian girl joins them. Her goal is really to collect her much-too-young (15) brother and take him back home, but she gets immersed in the cause. She feels she belongs and she's needed, and she's got drive. She wants to be a doctor maybe one day... But fate does what it does.
The modern story is Iris's granddaughter. She's a doctor who has no idea the struggles Iris faced during the war. And finding out may just give her a new appreciation for the benefits she has had...
Heck, it made me appreciate what us woman have and can do nowadays. Not saying we don't still have barriers to break down, but as I said above, I felt this book was a great tributes to the nurses of WWI. Imagine tending the wounded, watching them die, shift after shift, driving an ambulance in the worse conditions, fighting to show the world you're capable of being a doctor.
The modern story also make me think on something many of us are guilty of...if we don't know about it, we can pretend it's not there... Is living in blindness, however, the solution? I'm not going to elaborate further. I'd hate to spoil it for others.
It's a book full of strong women, I'll say that. Iris for pretty much running a hospital, for being a mother before her time, for doing what had to be done even if it meant giving up her dreams. Violet...driving an ambulance night after night, doing what she felt was right in the end, striving to succeed. Miss Ivers...for running the hospital, starting it, standing up to others, uniting women, inspiring... And Grace, who though she doubts herself at times, manages motherhood while being a doctor herself.
Full review: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2013/...
They feel so real.
In a nutshell: The backstory is WWI France. A group of Scottish and English nurses are opening a hospital. An Australian girl joins them. Her goal is really to collect her much-too-young (15) brother and take him back home, but she gets immersed in the cause. She feels she belongs and she's needed, and she's got drive. She wants to be a doctor maybe one day... But fate does what it does.
The modern story is Iris's granddaughter. She's a doctor who has no idea the struggles Iris faced during the war. And finding out may just give her a new appreciation for the benefits she has had...
Heck, it made me appreciate what us woman have and can do nowadays. Not saying we don't still have barriers to break down, but as I said above, I felt this book was a great tributes to the nurses of WWI. Imagine tending the wounded, watching them die, shift after shift, driving an ambulance in the worse conditions, fighting to show the world you're capable of being a doctor.
The modern story also make me think on something many of us are guilty of...if we don't know about it, we can pretend it's not there... Is living in blindness, however, the solution? I'm not going to elaborate further. I'd hate to spoil it for others.
It's a book full of strong women, I'll say that. Iris for pretty much running a hospital, for being a mother before her time, for doing what had to be done even if it meant giving up her dreams. Violet...driving an ambulance night after night, doing what she felt was right in the end, striving to succeed. Miss Ivers...for running the hospital, starting it, standing up to others, uniting women, inspiring... And Grace, who though she doubts herself at times, manages motherhood while being a doctor herself.
Full review: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2013/...
July 3, 2014
Sometimes the timing of reading book can influence how we respond to it, I suspect. Just prior to reading this book I had read another book dealing with World War 2. I might add this person doesn’t read a lot of books that concern war, so perhaps this book suffered a little from war overload. I still gave it four stars as I enjoyed this reading the story of Iris. Again this is another story that shifts between times
It gives the current story set in the 1970s of the elderly widowed Iris and her granddaughter, Grace who she raised. Both are undergoing problems in their lives. An invitation Iris receives is the catalyst to flash back to France during the First World War. Feeling guilty for not stopping him enlisting, Iris goes to France to bring her 15 year old brother Tom, home. But events conspire to keep her in France and part of the Royaumont Hospital set up in an old abbey by Dr. Ivens.
I enjoyed this story but sometimes I got a bit sick of flitting between time frames and perhaps at times the overload of detail. The situation with Tom, which I will only elude to here, so as not to spoil the book, left me gobsmacked. This is a story of love, loss, friendship and sacrifice. Probably if I had read it at another time it would have got an extra half star. It certainly went into detail about aspects of this war I knew nothing about and the characters were well drawn.
It gives the current story set in the 1970s of the elderly widowed Iris and her granddaughter, Grace who she raised. Both are undergoing problems in their lives. An invitation Iris receives is the catalyst to flash back to France during the First World War. Feeling guilty for not stopping him enlisting, Iris goes to France to bring her 15 year old brother Tom, home. But events conspire to keep her in France and part of the Royaumont Hospital set up in an old abbey by Dr. Ivens.
I enjoyed this story but sometimes I got a bit sick of flitting between time frames and perhaps at times the overload of detail. The situation with Tom, which I will only elude to here, so as not to spoil the book, left me gobsmacked. This is a story of love, loss, friendship and sacrifice. Probably if I had read it at another time it would have got an extra half star. It certainly went into detail about aspects of this war I knew nothing about and the characters were well drawn.
March 16, 2021
Loved this book! I devoured it in less than 24 hours (sometimes being confined to bed can have its upsides) and it just reeled me in and swept me away from the opening page.
Falling in Snow is a meticulously researched, gorgeously written novel set in two different worlds: a hospital run by women near Paris during WWI, and inner-city Brisbane in the late 1970s. At times it moved me to tears. MacColl's prose is intensely real. It's not what I'd term spare but just so matter of fact, so close to the bone in revealing emotions, the joys and devastation of everyday lives.
There are so many things to love about this book. Its vivid imagining of the past, of the horrors of war and the courage and determination of the women who worked in a hospital they set up to heal them (or sometimes hold their hands as they died). The delicate rendering of an elderly mind wandering from past to present, with little boundary between the two. The grief of a mother coming to terms with the fate of her child. The deft rendering of landscape, from the contrast of summer days with the horrors of war to the wonder of a young Queensland woman's first encounter with snow.
This is a wonderful book, full of life and death and everything in between. It's a must read.
Falling in Snow is a meticulously researched, gorgeously written novel set in two different worlds: a hospital run by women near Paris during WWI, and inner-city Brisbane in the late 1970s. At times it moved me to tears. MacColl's prose is intensely real. It's not what I'd term spare but just so matter of fact, so close to the bone in revealing emotions, the joys and devastation of everyday lives.
There are so many things to love about this book. Its vivid imagining of the past, of the horrors of war and the courage and determination of the women who worked in a hospital they set up to heal them (or sometimes hold their hands as they died). The delicate rendering of an elderly mind wandering from past to present, with little boundary between the two. The grief of a mother coming to terms with the fate of her child. The deft rendering of landscape, from the contrast of summer days with the horrors of war to the wonder of a young Queensland woman's first encounter with snow.
This is a wonderful book, full of life and death and everything in between. It's a must read.
January 6, 2016
This was historical fiction set in WWI times. I haven't read as much WWI historical fiction as WWII, so this was nice to read something different. Even though this takes place during war time, it wasn't about that at all. It was about the people and the decisions they made to navigate this turbulent time.
The characters were well drawn. I liked them all too, especially Iris and Grace. They were the ones with a story to tell. I was pulled into their stories, but I will say, that this book was quiet and thoughtful....not fast paced and action packed. So I guess it depends on what you are in the mood for. For me, it worked. I enjoyed rolling along with this.
The characters were well drawn. I liked them all too, especially Iris and Grace. They were the ones with a story to tell. I was pulled into their stories, but I will say, that this book was quiet and thoughtful....not fast paced and action packed. So I guess it depends on what you are in the mood for. For me, it worked. I enjoyed rolling along with this.
July 23, 2019
Enjoyed this novel read for a book club. Taking place during WWI, the story concerns a young Australian nurse, Iris Crane, who travels to France to bring her young brother back after he enlists. She ends up staying and working at a Scottish hospital near the front lines at Royaumont Abbey, run by women. A parallel story focuses on Iris’s granddaughter Grace, a physician, and takes place sixty years later in Australia. I found the back and forth between the two stories not distracting but preferred the earlier years and scenario.
November 11, 2012
MacColl had me at “pants puddled around their ankles” (page one). Much like seeing a five star movie – totally taken into the story and when emerging back into the light of reality – perceiving it altered. The last page turned and I was proud of women, more learned in history, heart-raw about war, ribboned by romance, conscious of consequences and outsmarted by the twist. A cleverly executed tale that sucked me into its non-stopping pages on an international flight. Bravo Mary-Rose MacColl!
February 28, 2017
I really loved this book! It has been in my library some time and I don't know how I could have overlooked what is, in my opinion, a masterpiece of story telling. Once again it is a story told in different time zones from 1914-18 war in France back to Australia in present day (actually a bit earlier)...in the Queensland cities of Stanthorpe and Brisbane. Beautifully written strong and compelling characters. Thank you Mary-Rose MacColl,I love your writing. I would recommend this book.
August 11, 2013
I just received this is in the mail yesterday, courtesy of Penguin Canada & Goodreads giveaway! I will start to read this right away.
***
*SPOILERS ALERT*
This is my first book I won from a Goodreads giveaway and I was excited to read it. I have always liked historical fiction since I was young, I was an avid reader of the Dear Canada series. I love books that show significant historical periods. So, since In Falling Snow was set during World War I, I was hoping it to be an enlightening read.
And it was! The story switches between two narrators, Iris Crane/Hogan, and her granddaughter Grace Hogan. Both of their perspectives are interesting as they are both in medicine field, Iris as a nurse in a women hospital, and Grace as an obstetrician in a modern day hospital. However, Iris' narration switches from the past, as her 21 year old self in World War I France as a nurse, and modern day Iris, old and forgetful who keeps remembering her past.
I loved the detailed descriptions of the war and the reader is given a great deal of insight to the horrors and lifestyle of the doctors, surgeons and others who served the army during the war. Iris comes as a naive young girl, unknown to the dangers and horror of war, only to bring her young brother back home, Tom, who ran away from home to join the army. When Iris finds Tom in France, he refuses to go back with her, telling her that he needs to be a man like everyone else and fight in the war. So Iris stays as a nurse in Royaumont, an all women hospital in the north of France. In present time, Grace worries about her son, Henry who seems to have some sort of terrible illness and discovering her whole life might be a lie. Mary-Rose MacColl adds a brilliant twist we learn of near the end of the book that will shock readers. However, I had hoped we would be given more of Al's life story as we learn he is truly a wonderful character but we don't see much of this except the letters he sends to Iris, signing as her loving fiance . Another thing was that, though I was sad
This book shows the sacrifices and determination the women during the war had, but a lot went uncredited. In a time where women were fighting to have the right to vote, these women sacrificed so much and left their families behind to serve strangers and men even when it seemed all hope was lost. It shows the difficulty, even now, that women have into going into medicine, or becoming a doctor with many men in the field holding prejudiced views. This book shows the struggles that women have to endure throughout their lives and how Iris and Grace are examples of how to overcome them.
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy reading historical fiction. Great first book to win on Goodreads!
***
*SPOILERS ALERT*
This is my first book I won from a Goodreads giveaway and I was excited to read it. I have always liked historical fiction since I was young, I was an avid reader of the Dear Canada series. I love books that show significant historical periods. So, since In Falling Snow was set during World War I, I was hoping it to be an enlightening read.
And it was! The story switches between two narrators, Iris Crane/Hogan, and her granddaughter Grace Hogan. Both of their perspectives are interesting as they are both in medicine field, Iris as a nurse in a women hospital, and Grace as an obstetrician in a modern day hospital. However, Iris' narration switches from the past, as her 21 year old self in World War I France as a nurse, and modern day Iris, old and forgetful who keeps remembering her past.
I loved the detailed descriptions of the war and the reader is given a great deal of insight to the horrors and lifestyle of the doctors, surgeons and others who served the army during the war. Iris comes as a naive young girl, unknown to the dangers and horror of war, only to bring her young brother back home, Tom, who ran away from home to join the army. When Iris finds Tom in France, he refuses to go back with her, telling her that he needs to be a man like everyone else and fight in the war. So Iris stays as a nurse in Royaumont, an all women hospital in the north of France. In present time, Grace worries about her son, Henry who seems to have some sort of terrible illness and discovering her whole life might be a lie. Mary-Rose MacColl adds a brilliant twist we learn of near the end of the book that will shock readers. However, I had hoped we would be given more of Al's life story as we learn he is truly a wonderful character but we don't see much of this except the letters he sends to Iris, signing as her loving fiance . Another thing was that, though I was sad
This book shows the sacrifices and determination the women during the war had, but a lot went uncredited. In a time where women were fighting to have the right to vote, these women sacrificed so much and left their families behind to serve strangers and men even when it seemed all hope was lost. It shows the difficulty, even now, that women have into going into medicine, or becoming a doctor with many men in the field holding prejudiced views. This book shows the struggles that women have to endure throughout their lives and how Iris and Grace are examples of how to overcome them.
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy reading historical fiction. Great first book to win on Goodreads!
February 20, 2014
This is a beautifully written fictionalised account of the women who started a hospital in Royaumont Abbey in France during World War I. The story is told in parallel narrative, switching back and forth from wartime France to Brisbane in the 70s. The ageing Iris receives an invitation to attend a reunion at Royaumont and decides to go, even though some painful memories await her. Her adult grand-daughter Grace is dealing with her own problems and there's an interesting interplay between the two. As the story from the past comes to the fore, we see Iris arriving in France to look for her brother Tom who managed to enlist at the age of 15 against his father's wishes. Iris is to bring him home, but in the meantime meets the indomitable Miss Ivens who convinces her to stay on and help them set up Royaumont. Iris speaks fluent French and becomes indispensable to Miss Ivens. She also befriends the enigmatic Violet who drives one of the ambulances for the hospital. Their stories become intertwined in unexpected ways that affects them both for the rest of their lives.
Mary-Rose MacColl does an excellent job of evoking the era. The main characters are three-dimensional and she creates a wonderful sense of place. It was fascinating learning about the incredible contribution of these women at a time when many thought that women shouldn't be doctors, let alone start up and operate their own hospitals.
The main reason I didn't give it five stars is that I felt the middle lost momentum. While the scenarios from the war were really interesting, I wasn't sure what was driving the main character. Iris had initially gone to France to find her brother, but she finds him quite early in the piece. I felt like I wanted another major plot point that would propel her towards another goal, though that didn't come until the end. I also felt the author gave a few of her own spoilers. For example, there are several passages throughout the book that refer to Tom's death, though we don't know how he died until the end. There are other allusions to coming events, though again we don't know the exact nature of them until the end. I would have preferred to see the story unfold and be surprised by some of those occurrences.
However, it was a very enjoyable read and there were some good twists. Parts of the 70s story with Grace tied in well as secrets were revealed. I found myself thinking about the characters afterwards, which is always a good sign for me. If you enjoy historical fiction with strong female characters, you'll enjoy this book.
Mary-Rose MacColl does an excellent job of evoking the era. The main characters are three-dimensional and she creates a wonderful sense of place. It was fascinating learning about the incredible contribution of these women at a time when many thought that women shouldn't be doctors, let alone start up and operate their own hospitals.
The main reason I didn't give it five stars is that I felt the middle lost momentum. While the scenarios from the war were really interesting, I wasn't sure what was driving the main character. Iris had initially gone to France to find her brother, but she finds him quite early in the piece. I felt like I wanted another major plot point that would propel her towards another goal, though that didn't come until the end. I also felt the author gave a few of her own spoilers. For example, there are several passages throughout the book that refer to Tom's death, though we don't know how he died until the end. There are other allusions to coming events, though again we don't know the exact nature of them until the end. I would have preferred to see the story unfold and be surprised by some of those occurrences.
However, it was a very enjoyable read and there were some good twists. Parts of the 70s story with Grace tied in well as secrets were revealed. I found myself thinking about the characters afterwards, which is always a good sign for me. If you enjoy historical fiction with strong female characters, you'll enjoy this book.
April 17, 2013
In Falling Snow follows two women, Iris and Grace, at different points in their professional and personal lives. Iris is an old woman, accepting the fact that she is dying. Grace is her granddaughter, attempting to balance life as a doctor while raising three kids.
As she reaches the end of her life, Iris begins to reflect on her years working as a nurse in a WWI hospital and on her younger brother, Tom, who ran off to join the army at only 15. As the story jumps between her reflections and present day, Iris must finally come to terms with the responsibility of a tragedy she believes rests on her shoulders. Grace, upon seeing her grandmother’s deterioration, begins to realize how little she really knows about Iris’ past. What Grace ultimately discovers will change her, and her loved ones’ lives, forever.
I found In Falling Snow engaging, but inconsistently so. The first part of the book, in which characters and personalities were being established, didn’t really keep my interest. However, once the novel began to focus on Iris’ time as a nurse during the Great War, I loved it. The details surrounding the war, soldiers, and people working in the hospital were obviously well-researched and it showed in how well the story developed.
I could sense a big reveal coming toward the end of the book and was prepared when it appeared, but still found it rushed and slightly awkward. The reveal seemed brief and left me with an odd feeling as I had been watching the tension and secrecy build for almost 400 pages.
For fans of history, specifically the heartache experienced during wartime, In Falling Snow is an informative read. For those who love stories surrounding family secrets that span generations, this book is a must-read.
Purchase the book at: http://www.bookdepository.com/Falling...
As she reaches the end of her life, Iris begins to reflect on her years working as a nurse in a WWI hospital and on her younger brother, Tom, who ran off to join the army at only 15. As the story jumps between her reflections and present day, Iris must finally come to terms with the responsibility of a tragedy she believes rests on her shoulders. Grace, upon seeing her grandmother’s deterioration, begins to realize how little she really knows about Iris’ past. What Grace ultimately discovers will change her, and her loved ones’ lives, forever.
I found In Falling Snow engaging, but inconsistently so. The first part of the book, in which characters and personalities were being established, didn’t really keep my interest. However, once the novel began to focus on Iris’ time as a nurse during the Great War, I loved it. The details surrounding the war, soldiers, and people working in the hospital were obviously well-researched and it showed in how well the story developed.
I could sense a big reveal coming toward the end of the book and was prepared when it appeared, but still found it rushed and slightly awkward. The reveal seemed brief and left me with an odd feeling as I had been watching the tension and secrecy build for almost 400 pages.
For fans of history, specifically the heartache experienced during wartime, In Falling Snow is an informative read. For those who love stories surrounding family secrets that span generations, this book is a must-read.
Purchase the book at: http://www.bookdepository.com/Falling...
June 24, 2014
"In Falling Snow" is the North American debut by Australian author Mary-Rose MacColl. The story focuses on two women, Iris Crane and her granddaughter,Grace who share the narration responsibility in bringing the lives of women in both First World War France and 1970's Australia.
The story begins with an invitation being sent to the elderly Iris Crane, now living in a small apartment in Australia that sets her on looking at a past she has tried so desperately to forget.
Iris' story is told through flashbacks as she recall her arrival in 1914 France as a 21 year old woman trying to bring home the 15 year old brother who has joined the army. In a swirl of fate, Iris meets Miss Frances Ivens, a doctor who entices Iris to become her hospital assistant and French translator( a language Iris learns from her French stepmother in her growing years).The Scottish field hospital, at an old abbey of Royaumont, north of Paris brings to a motherless Iris the sense of belonging that she has desperately needed. It also sets up one of the most important friendships with ambulance driver, Violet Heron.
In the present section of our story, Grace, is the mother of three and a very successful obstetrician who is trying to make it in a still male dominated hospital.
This book is about love and friendship, jealousy and forgiveness, and the lies we tell ourselves in order to forget the past.
The story begins with an invitation being sent to the elderly Iris Crane, now living in a small apartment in Australia that sets her on looking at a past she has tried so desperately to forget.
Iris' story is told through flashbacks as she recall her arrival in 1914 France as a 21 year old woman trying to bring home the 15 year old brother who has joined the army. In a swirl of fate, Iris meets Miss Frances Ivens, a doctor who entices Iris to become her hospital assistant and French translator( a language Iris learns from her French stepmother in her growing years).The Scottish field hospital, at an old abbey of Royaumont, north of Paris brings to a motherless Iris the sense of belonging that she has desperately needed. It also sets up one of the most important friendships with ambulance driver, Violet Heron.
In the present section of our story, Grace, is the mother of three and a very successful obstetrician who is trying to make it in a still male dominated hospital.
This book is about love and friendship, jealousy and forgiveness, and the lies we tell ourselves in order to forget the past.
January 31, 2013
I've read quite a bit about WW1, but had never heard of this remarkable hospital, or the women who ran it, and have now just spent some time on the interwebz checking it out. And, without giving too much away, Tom's fate came as a shock, highlighting British army policy that I not given much thought to - brutal stuff and the figures cited were horrifying. I'm wondering if there isn't a book in this topic alone. All in all an absorbing read which opened up some new areas of interest for me. Bravo Mary-Rose MacColl for sensitively tackling two under-exposed topics in a much written about field.
September 27, 2016
Romāns par mīlestību un par karu - jā. Spilgts - nē.
Ir gan liekvārdība, gan ar pamatstāstu nesaistošas detaļas.
Sajūta, ka autorei bija izdomāts noslēpumiem tīts stāsts, ar kuru grāmata būtu par plānu, tāpēc bija jāizdoma vēl daudz ko, kas šķiet lieks un lasīts pārskrienot rindām.... Bet noslēpums bija, ieintriģēja un pēdējas ap 150 lpp naktī tika lasītas bez apstājas, jo neiespējami iemigt, neuzzinot - ko tad Airisa slēpa. Romāns filmas scenārija cienīgs (varbūt jau ir?). Bet nav no tām grāmatām, ko turētu savā grāmatplauktā un gribētu pārlasīt...
Ir gan liekvārdība, gan ar pamatstāstu nesaistošas detaļas.
Sajūta, ka autorei bija izdomāts noslēpumiem tīts stāsts, ar kuru grāmata būtu par plānu, tāpēc bija jāizdoma vēl daudz ko, kas šķiet lieks un lasīts pārskrienot rindām.... Bet noslēpums bija, ieintriģēja un pēdējas ap 150 lpp naktī tika lasītas bez apstājas, jo neiespējami iemigt, neuzzinot - ko tad Airisa slēpa. Romāns filmas scenārija cienīgs (varbūt jau ir?). Bet nav no tām grāmatām, ko turētu savā grāmatplauktā un gribētu pārlasīt...
December 30, 2012
The beauty in this book is that it links past and present, France and Australia within a web of history. Offering us a historical mystery and a nest of characters to compel you through the beautiful language, to enter into aspects of our involvement in war that are heart wrenching and so worthy of our attention. Thank you and so very well done Mary- Rose.
January 31, 2021
Aiz loga paveras pasakaini ziemīga ainava, kas gluži nejauši saskan ar grāmatas vāku un saturu. “Krītošā sniegā” ir romantiski sentimentāla grāmata uz vēsturiska fona, par pamatu ņemot sieviešu hospitāli Rietumu frontē netālu no Parīzes. Lai arī tēli ir izdomāti, daudzi fakti ir vēsturiski patiesi un uzskatāmi parāda sievietes cīņu un sevis pierādīšanu medicīnā. Par terminu precizitāti nemāku spriest, bet man likās aizraujoša tieši medicīniskā puse un kara hospitāļa attainojums.
Romānā paralēli tiek aprakstīti pagātnes un tagadnes notikumi, kas cieši sasaista sieviešu likteņus vairākās paaudzēs un ik pa slānim atklāj traģēdijas ģimenē.
Jāpiebilst, ka lasot daudz biogrāfisku darbu, kur kara šausmas ir neticami reālas, lasīt romantizēto kara versiju, ir mazliet noplicināti, bet tā jau ir mana problēma, nevis šī konkrētā darba vaina. Es šo ieteiktu vēsturisko romānu cienītājiem un tiem, kas nav gatavi par karu lasīt raw formātā, ļaujoties emocionālam sentimentam par laika plūdumu un kļūdām, ko nožēlojam tikai dzīves beigās.
3.6⭐️
Romānā paralēli tiek aprakstīti pagātnes un tagadnes notikumi, kas cieši sasaista sieviešu likteņus vairākās paaudzēs un ik pa slānim atklāj traģēdijas ģimenē.
Jāpiebilst, ka lasot daudz biogrāfisku darbu, kur kara šausmas ir neticami reālas, lasīt romantizēto kara versiju, ir mazliet noplicināti, bet tā jau ir mana problēma, nevis šī konkrētā darba vaina. Es šo ieteiktu vēsturisko romānu cienītājiem un tiem, kas nav gatavi par karu lasīt raw formātā, ļaujoties emocionālam sentimentam par laika plūdumu un kļūdām, ko nožēlojam tikai dzīves beigās.
3.6⭐️
November 4, 2012
In Falling Snow tells the story of Iris Crane, an elderly widow who lives a quiet life in Brisbane, worrying more about her granddaughter, Grace, a headstrong doctor juggling work with children, than she does about herself. Iris is a mesmerising character from the get –go thanks to the tender authenticity of her narrative voice. It struck me immediately how rarely I read a novel voiced (in part) by an elderly woman. The ways in which MacColl renders her combination of naivety about aspects of the modern world with the recognition of her own rich and eventful life is refreshing and skilfully written. How often do we judge the elderly based on their current limitations rather than the wealth of experience inevitably gained through a long life?
Things change suddenly for Iris when she receives an invitation to a reunion in France, where she served as a hospital nurse in World War 1. As a young woman, Iris took off to Europe on a mission to locate her brother who enlisted despite being under age. En route she met Miss Ivens – a charismatic Scot establishing a field hospital in an old abbey at Royaumont. The invitation brings back memories and ghosts from the distant past and Iris must determine whether it’s time for certain buried stories to be brought out into the light.
The narrative moves between time frames, and between the perspectives of Iris and Grace. The young Iris carries the weight of responsibility on her shoulders – having been a surrogate mother to her brother after their own mother’s death – but remains inexperienced about many aspects of travel, war, men and human nature itself. She makes a delightful narrator in the earlier part of the book and personifies the curious mix of naivety and enthusiasm that accompanied many young Australians on the ‘adventure’ of going to war in the days of heavy propaganda and devotion to the Empire. Iris has a subtle inferiority about her Australianness: she feels her accent is “harsh, like the summer sun” compared to some of the “deep and melodious” British voices around her. Yet, Iris’ father steps in as a complex antidote to this; having lost a brother in the Boer War he tells Iris that Australia isn’t Britain and “…shouldn’t be in a British war”. This variety of perspectives on each of the novel’s big themes steers it away from being a sentimental war memoire or history lesson.
McColl has a lot to say about parenting and gender roles, juxtaposing the position of women as professionals and homemakers over the ages. There are questions drawn about what constitutes mothering – is it the giving birth or the nurturing and responsibility that makes a mother? Gender is significant in the book’s medical environments. Royaumont has an all-female staff tending to male soliders; whereas back in 1970s Brisbane, Grace’s maternity ward is dominated by officious male obstetricians who lack compassion for the women in their care. Grace, in fact, fights her own daily ‘war’ against the hospital hierarchy. Matters of heredity and lineage are also highlighted when Grace’s son shows signs of a genetic illness.
MacColl also makes comment on the ways we perceive of age. Grace treats a pregnant teen who has little power over the delivery method, or the future, of her child; whereas war time puts teenagers at the front line. Another theme worthy of mention is memory – with all its heightened colours and tricky false impressions. The elderly Iris describes her life vividly through sensory recollections: “…Royaumont was full of smells, the perfume we sprinkled on our beds to try to rid ourselves of the awful reek of decay […], the clean smell of snow, […] the spring flowers and fresh cut grass of summer.” There is great poignancy in the way a quiet life provides opportunity to ‘stop and smell the roses’ – even if the roses in question are long since gone from a faraway garden.
MacColl’s story is increasingly complicated as the novel progresses and there is a sense that she has tried to cover too many aspects of her chosen subjects; however, there are few things more complicated than family, and McColl respects the reader’s ability to keep up. She, rightly, avoids oversimplification of either the legacies of war or the endless complexities of matters of the heart.
A more detailed review can be read at http://thischarmingmum.com
Things change suddenly for Iris when she receives an invitation to a reunion in France, where she served as a hospital nurse in World War 1. As a young woman, Iris took off to Europe on a mission to locate her brother who enlisted despite being under age. En route she met Miss Ivens – a charismatic Scot establishing a field hospital in an old abbey at Royaumont. The invitation brings back memories and ghosts from the distant past and Iris must determine whether it’s time for certain buried stories to be brought out into the light.
The narrative moves between time frames, and between the perspectives of Iris and Grace. The young Iris carries the weight of responsibility on her shoulders – having been a surrogate mother to her brother after their own mother’s death – but remains inexperienced about many aspects of travel, war, men and human nature itself. She makes a delightful narrator in the earlier part of the book and personifies the curious mix of naivety and enthusiasm that accompanied many young Australians on the ‘adventure’ of going to war in the days of heavy propaganda and devotion to the Empire. Iris has a subtle inferiority about her Australianness: she feels her accent is “harsh, like the summer sun” compared to some of the “deep and melodious” British voices around her. Yet, Iris’ father steps in as a complex antidote to this; having lost a brother in the Boer War he tells Iris that Australia isn’t Britain and “…shouldn’t be in a British war”. This variety of perspectives on each of the novel’s big themes steers it away from being a sentimental war memoire or history lesson.
McColl has a lot to say about parenting and gender roles, juxtaposing the position of women as professionals and homemakers over the ages. There are questions drawn about what constitutes mothering – is it the giving birth or the nurturing and responsibility that makes a mother? Gender is significant in the book’s medical environments. Royaumont has an all-female staff tending to male soliders; whereas back in 1970s Brisbane, Grace’s maternity ward is dominated by officious male obstetricians who lack compassion for the women in their care. Grace, in fact, fights her own daily ‘war’ against the hospital hierarchy. Matters of heredity and lineage are also highlighted when Grace’s son shows signs of a genetic illness.
MacColl also makes comment on the ways we perceive of age. Grace treats a pregnant teen who has little power over the delivery method, or the future, of her child; whereas war time puts teenagers at the front line. Another theme worthy of mention is memory – with all its heightened colours and tricky false impressions. The elderly Iris describes her life vividly through sensory recollections: “…Royaumont was full of smells, the perfume we sprinkled on our beds to try to rid ourselves of the awful reek of decay […], the clean smell of snow, […] the spring flowers and fresh cut grass of summer.” There is great poignancy in the way a quiet life provides opportunity to ‘stop and smell the roses’ – even if the roses in question are long since gone from a faraway garden.
MacColl’s story is increasingly complicated as the novel progresses and there is a sense that she has tried to cover too many aspects of her chosen subjects; however, there are few things more complicated than family, and McColl respects the reader’s ability to keep up. She, rightly, avoids oversimplification of either the legacies of war or the endless complexities of matters of the heart.
A more detailed review can be read at http://thischarmingmum.com
February 19, 2021
This is Australian author Mary-Rose MacColl’s American debut novel, based on real women who founded and ran the Scottish Women’s Hospitals in France during World War I. It takes place at Royaumont, an abbey just north of Paris. The narrative is told from the perspectives of two women during the present day, the first by Iris Crane now an elderly woman remembering her experience during the war and later by her granddaughter Dr. Grace Hogan, who is keeping an eye on her grandmother who lives independently nearby.
The first part of the book tells of Iris’s experiences in France through her fractured memories, back to years long past when she left her home in Australia and traveled to France to find her brother Tom, who had gone against his father’s wishes and joined the war effort. He was only fifteen but had lied about his age, determined to do his part. After the train trip from Paris, Iris was waylaid by Dr. Frances Ivens who was setting up a field hospital in an old abbey called Royaumont. She was the superintendent, but didn’t speak French and was badly in need of a translator. She charmed Iris with her enthusiasm, her boundless energy and her “can do” attitude and Iris agreed to stay at Royaumont for a short period until she found her brother. Iris convinced herself that she needed a place to stay in the weeks it would take to locate Tom and while she waited, she might as well do something useful. In truth, she had been completely overcome by the charismatic Frances Ives, a woman with a goal and a determination to reach it. The decision Iris made ultimately changed her life.
Dr. Ivens had to work with her sponsors in Edinburgh and the Croix Rouge in France to make the abbey into a functioning hospital ready to receive, treat and nurse wounded soldiers. She and her staff had been misled about the condition of the abbey and initially the task of transforming it into a place to care for the wounded appeared to be utterly unworkable. The place was a wreck. There was no electricity, no running water, the drains were blocked, the rooms filled with debris, old furniture and dirt. They lacked everything from the basic requirement of beds and bandages to the X-ray machines that had been ordered but had not yet arrived.
The staff from the doctors to the orderlies were all woman, a hard working group who led by their inspirational leader Frances Ivens, pretended the abbey just needed a little work. They labored together cleaning the place up, getting the plumbing working and the supplies they needed. They were all exhausted, their only sleeping accommodations straw mattresses on the cold stone floor of the abbey, but they never complained. They got the work done, invigorated by the thought of becoming an important part of the war effort. When the facility was finally accreditated, which took some doing, they were able to receive the wounded.
Although this is a novel set against the Great War, the wounded men are not a big part of the story. It is more about the relationships of the women and in particular Iris Crane the protagonist, Dr. Frances Ivens, the physician and head of the hospital and Violet Heron, a vivacious, worldly young woman only a few years older than Iris who drove the ambulances. Iris enjoyed Violet and they became close friends.
As the staff began to receive the wounded, the women were shocked by the state of the soldiers. They were are all in ragged clothes, had stinking wounds and some were in shock and unable to speak. Almost all were infested with fleas and were starving. For some there was nothing to be done, they were too close to death. They come with sordid tales of living for days up to their knees in mud, terrified by the gas from which they knew there was no treatment and which would lead to a slow agonizing death. Almost all their wounds were gangrenous and if they were to live, amputation was the only choice of treatment.
Among the soldiers were men from the African nations who were not volunteers but were forced to sign up for a war they did not understand nor feel a part of. Most did not even speak English and were dying far from home without the comfort of loved ones.
During the rush of patients, the staff worked non-stop, the surgeons operating continuously, but despite exhaustion everyone carried on.
Iris became so wrapped up in the work she was doing that she almost forgot about the search for her brother Tom. When she eventually found him working with the post office, she was relieved he was not in the battlefield. Iris had taken care of Tom after their mother died when they were both young and still felt responsible for him, her feelings intensified by the fact she had helped him enlist against the wishes of their father. Tom insisted he was not going home. He lied to enlist and France was where he wanted to be. Iris understood him. She was now so deep in the cause, she did not want to return either and so they both stayed in France. Iris maintained communication with her father assuring him Tom was safe, but her father continued to pressure her to bring Tom home. He believed that in a war, there was no place that was safe and besides, this war belonged to Britain and had nothing to do with Australia.
During her time in France, Iris met a Frenchman and embarked on a passionate relationship which tested her loyalty to the fiancé she had left behind in Brisbane. It was a time when she grew from the sheltered life she had lived with her family to experience a world on her own terms, away from the watchful eyes of her father.
Iris experienced those years in France as the most important in her life, a time when she grew to love medicine. She discovered a strength and a determination she never knew she had and was proud of what she accomplished. She had come to France as a shy and naïve young woman and a grown into someone strong, capable of helping to run a hospital in the middle of a war.
The second plot focuses on Grace, Iris’s granddaughter. Iris raised Grace when her mother Rose died in childbirth. Grace is a knowledgeable and skilled obstetrician married to David. The couple have three children, Mia the eldest girl, Phil the middle child and Henry still a toddler who both Grace and David notice is not developing as quickly as the girls and seems to tire easily. Grace has not yet taken him to the doctor, not wanting to subject her son to what could be a battery of unnecessary tests.
Although Grace is a strong confident woman, she is beginning to feel the strain of her responsibilities as a mother and her busy life as a physician. She also keeps an eye on her grandmother Iris who has a weak heart and is becoming increasingly frail.
Grace has an excellent reputation with the staff at the hospital, but it is often complicated by her clashes with male colleagues where she criticizes what she believes are their substandard practices. Hardly the diplomat, stubborn and determined to ensure patients get the care they deserve, she does what she can to protect patients. This gets her in trouble with those who wield power in the male dominated powerful hierarchy that runs the hospital.
When Iris receives an invitation to a reunion recognizing the service of the Scottish Women who ran Royaumont, she decides to attend but Grace is worried Iris will not survive the long journey from Australia to France. Iris knows she doesn’t have a strong heart and one day it will eventually kill her, but nevertheless is determined to go. She ignores her granddaughter’s concerns and goes about planning her trip, looking forward to meeting up with former friends, especially Frances Ivens and Violet Heron, who played such a big role in her life story.
MacColl skillfully weaves the two stories together with seamless transitions, continuing to drive the story forward without interrupting the evolving narrative.
The book has a little bit of everything --- history, gender politics, romance, complicated family ties, a little mystery and shows how war has long reaching effects on the generations that follow. MacColl admits she played loosely with the history surrounding her story, but the facts surrounding the abbey and the role it played in the war are accurate. None of the other sometimes fuzzy historical details detract from her story of the characters, the main concern of her narrative.
This is a good candidate for a book club discussion. It raises many topics for discussion including gender roles, what constitutes family, the meaning of mothering and the conflicting perceptions of age. There is enough there to fuel animated discussions long past the tea and cookies or the wine and cheese, with those less interested in such debates still able to enjoy a good story.
The first part of the book tells of Iris’s experiences in France through her fractured memories, back to years long past when she left her home in Australia and traveled to France to find her brother Tom, who had gone against his father’s wishes and joined the war effort. He was only fifteen but had lied about his age, determined to do his part. After the train trip from Paris, Iris was waylaid by Dr. Frances Ivens who was setting up a field hospital in an old abbey called Royaumont. She was the superintendent, but didn’t speak French and was badly in need of a translator. She charmed Iris with her enthusiasm, her boundless energy and her “can do” attitude and Iris agreed to stay at Royaumont for a short period until she found her brother. Iris convinced herself that she needed a place to stay in the weeks it would take to locate Tom and while she waited, she might as well do something useful. In truth, she had been completely overcome by the charismatic Frances Ives, a woman with a goal and a determination to reach it. The decision Iris made ultimately changed her life.
Dr. Ivens had to work with her sponsors in Edinburgh and the Croix Rouge in France to make the abbey into a functioning hospital ready to receive, treat and nurse wounded soldiers. She and her staff had been misled about the condition of the abbey and initially the task of transforming it into a place to care for the wounded appeared to be utterly unworkable. The place was a wreck. There was no electricity, no running water, the drains were blocked, the rooms filled with debris, old furniture and dirt. They lacked everything from the basic requirement of beds and bandages to the X-ray machines that had been ordered but had not yet arrived.
The staff from the doctors to the orderlies were all woman, a hard working group who led by their inspirational leader Frances Ivens, pretended the abbey just needed a little work. They labored together cleaning the place up, getting the plumbing working and the supplies they needed. They were all exhausted, their only sleeping accommodations straw mattresses on the cold stone floor of the abbey, but they never complained. They got the work done, invigorated by the thought of becoming an important part of the war effort. When the facility was finally accreditated, which took some doing, they were able to receive the wounded.
Although this is a novel set against the Great War, the wounded men are not a big part of the story. It is more about the relationships of the women and in particular Iris Crane the protagonist, Dr. Frances Ivens, the physician and head of the hospital and Violet Heron, a vivacious, worldly young woman only a few years older than Iris who drove the ambulances. Iris enjoyed Violet and they became close friends.
As the staff began to receive the wounded, the women were shocked by the state of the soldiers. They were are all in ragged clothes, had stinking wounds and some were in shock and unable to speak. Almost all were infested with fleas and were starving. For some there was nothing to be done, they were too close to death. They come with sordid tales of living for days up to their knees in mud, terrified by the gas from which they knew there was no treatment and which would lead to a slow agonizing death. Almost all their wounds were gangrenous and if they were to live, amputation was the only choice of treatment.
Among the soldiers were men from the African nations who were not volunteers but were forced to sign up for a war they did not understand nor feel a part of. Most did not even speak English and were dying far from home without the comfort of loved ones.
During the rush of patients, the staff worked non-stop, the surgeons operating continuously, but despite exhaustion everyone carried on.
Iris became so wrapped up in the work she was doing that she almost forgot about the search for her brother Tom. When she eventually found him working with the post office, she was relieved he was not in the battlefield. Iris had taken care of Tom after their mother died when they were both young and still felt responsible for him, her feelings intensified by the fact she had helped him enlist against the wishes of their father. Tom insisted he was not going home. He lied to enlist and France was where he wanted to be. Iris understood him. She was now so deep in the cause, she did not want to return either and so they both stayed in France. Iris maintained communication with her father assuring him Tom was safe, but her father continued to pressure her to bring Tom home. He believed that in a war, there was no place that was safe and besides, this war belonged to Britain and had nothing to do with Australia.
During her time in France, Iris met a Frenchman and embarked on a passionate relationship which tested her loyalty to the fiancé she had left behind in Brisbane. It was a time when she grew from the sheltered life she had lived with her family to experience a world on her own terms, away from the watchful eyes of her father.
Iris experienced those years in France as the most important in her life, a time when she grew to love medicine. She discovered a strength and a determination she never knew she had and was proud of what she accomplished. She had come to France as a shy and naïve young woman and a grown into someone strong, capable of helping to run a hospital in the middle of a war.
The second plot focuses on Grace, Iris’s granddaughter. Iris raised Grace when her mother Rose died in childbirth. Grace is a knowledgeable and skilled obstetrician married to David. The couple have three children, Mia the eldest girl, Phil the middle child and Henry still a toddler who both Grace and David notice is not developing as quickly as the girls and seems to tire easily. Grace has not yet taken him to the doctor, not wanting to subject her son to what could be a battery of unnecessary tests.
Although Grace is a strong confident woman, she is beginning to feel the strain of her responsibilities as a mother and her busy life as a physician. She also keeps an eye on her grandmother Iris who has a weak heart and is becoming increasingly frail.
Grace has an excellent reputation with the staff at the hospital, but it is often complicated by her clashes with male colleagues where she criticizes what she believes are their substandard practices. Hardly the diplomat, stubborn and determined to ensure patients get the care they deserve, she does what she can to protect patients. This gets her in trouble with those who wield power in the male dominated powerful hierarchy that runs the hospital.
When Iris receives an invitation to a reunion recognizing the service of the Scottish Women who ran Royaumont, she decides to attend but Grace is worried Iris will not survive the long journey from Australia to France. Iris knows she doesn’t have a strong heart and one day it will eventually kill her, but nevertheless is determined to go. She ignores her granddaughter’s concerns and goes about planning her trip, looking forward to meeting up with former friends, especially Frances Ivens and Violet Heron, who played such a big role in her life story.
MacColl skillfully weaves the two stories together with seamless transitions, continuing to drive the story forward without interrupting the evolving narrative.
The book has a little bit of everything --- history, gender politics, romance, complicated family ties, a little mystery and shows how war has long reaching effects on the generations that follow. MacColl admits she played loosely with the history surrounding her story, but the facts surrounding the abbey and the role it played in the war are accurate. None of the other sometimes fuzzy historical details detract from her story of the characters, the main concern of her narrative.
This is a good candidate for a book club discussion. It raises many topics for discussion including gender roles, what constitutes family, the meaning of mothering and the conflicting perceptions of age. There is enough there to fuel animated discussions long past the tea and cookies or the wine and cheese, with those less interested in such debates still able to enjoy a good story.
November 5, 2023
Right up my street. WW1 historical fiction flitting back and forwards to the 1970’s.
Great story, super interesting history about a female run hospital on the French front.
Great story, super interesting history about a female run hospital on the French front.
Want to read
September 1, 2016
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This novel takes you on a journey to the past in France and Australia during World War I, as you read from an Australian viewpoint.
Iris is a young Australian nurse who travels to World War I in France in hopes of returning home with her fifteen-year-old brother, who had run away to fight the war against his father’s wishes. During her journey to retrieve him, she comes across a young physician who convinces her to stay and lend a helping hand in the founding of an army hospitable entirely run by females. She decides to help, believing it would better her chances of finding her brother. Soon Iris finds herself caught up in all the commotion as she finds herself now a nurse and an administrator at the new hospitable. There she sees the consequences of war and the great impacts it afflicts.
Sixty years after the War, Iris receives an invitation inviting her to come back to France to celebrate their 60th anniversary As Iris reads through the letter, we follow her into a journey of the past as she relieves her time as a nurse and decides to go back, even though some painful memories await her. With her granddaughter Grace along her side, we as readers as see the dynamic contracts of both their lives, and what Iris will do to protect her family. Both their stories became intertwined in unexpected ways.
I enjoyed how the novel constantly shifted from the present to the past, as Iris recalls the past at the near end of her days. It was interesting to view what it was like during World War I for the women who served as nurses and doctors in the era of World War I. It was also just as intriguing to learn that during those times, there happened to be a hospitable run merely by women, out on the Western Front. The history and experiences were well written and made you want to find out more of what really happened back then.
***I received a copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review***
December 7, 2014
In Falling Snow is written as alternating accounts in 2 women’s lives - Grace, an ob/gynae surgeon working in a Brisbane hospital, and Iris, her grandmother who brought Grace up when her mother died in childbirth. Iris’ account is told in the present day (although the “present day” is set in the 1970s), and she also reflects on her time spent working as a nurse/admin assistant in an old abbey converted into a French hospital near the front in WWI. It made me think of the recent TV series on the ABC - The ANZAC Girls, although this one was a hospital run solely by women and I think most of the women in this book were British.
I enjoyed this story. I loved both the French and Brisbane settings. I loved the descriptions of life in the old abbey. And I just can’t comprehend how people managed to run hospitals in the conditions seen in WWI (or WWII, for that matter) - the mud and the gas and the guns and the bombs and the shrapnel - the wounds and infections these nurses and surgeons would have had to deal with would have been horrific. Not to mention the conditions they had to work under - difficulties getting supplies, the fear of the front line coming closer and needing to evacuate, the reverberation of guns, the possibility of being wiped out by a shell, the overcrowded wards, lack of sleep… I think people working under these conditions must have been just surviving on almost pure adrenaline for days (maybe weeks??) at a time! It seems an appropriate time to read this, with this year being 100 years since the beginning of WWI.
I enjoyed this story. I loved both the French and Brisbane settings. I loved the descriptions of life in the old abbey. And I just can’t comprehend how people managed to run hospitals in the conditions seen in WWI (or WWII, for that matter) - the mud and the gas and the guns and the bombs and the shrapnel - the wounds and infections these nurses and surgeons would have had to deal with would have been horrific. Not to mention the conditions they had to work under - difficulties getting supplies, the fear of the front line coming closer and needing to evacuate, the reverberation of guns, the possibility of being wiped out by a shell, the overcrowded wards, lack of sleep… I think people working under these conditions must have been just surviving on almost pure adrenaline for days (maybe weeks??) at a time! It seems an appropriate time to read this, with this year being 100 years since the beginning of WWI.
July 13, 2021
I liked the book but didn't love it. I was expecting (and wanting) more of a historical fiction novel. With the backdrop of WWI so much more could have been captured about the great event befalling the world and intertwined with In Falling Snow's characters. And the characters are great -- well written and fleshed out. The reader is certainly taken in by them. But this reader was looking for something more that wasn't quite fulfilled.
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